Cádiz and Jerez

In this episode, Michael ventures to Andalucía's wild Atlantic coast, to explore Europe's oldest inhabited city, Cádiz, before heading inland to the world capital of sherry: Jerez. His visit coincides with two major festivals: the finale of the annual Tall Ships race and the annual sherry grape harvest festival.

Michael's journey begins aboard an 80-metre long tall ship, the Cuauhtemoc, owned by the Mexican navy and used to train its officer cadets, where he learns how the ships are rigged, before taking part in an exercise to hoist the mainsail by responding to a series of whistles.

For lunch he joins local historian and guide Pilar for some classic Cádiz tapas: Tortillitas de Camerones, shrimp fritters, and Chicharrones de Cadiz, razor thin slices of pork belly. Michael learns that Cádiz was founded by the Phoenicians 3000 years ago when the city was divided by a channel, and that an ancient dry dock has been discovered where the channel once ran.

In the thousands of years since, the city has been a major Roman port, the origins of Columbus's second voyage to the Americas, and one of the richest cities in Spain with a monopoly on trade with the New World in the 18th century. Michael's hotel for the night is in the former sumptuous mansion of one of those 18th century traders, with fine views over the Gulf of Cádiz.

His second day begins with a trip to Jerez where he takes part in the grand final of the city's sherry tasting competition before learning why Jerez is also the centre of one of the region's most iconic art forms: flamenco guitar. Michael then visits a sherry-bodegas in the heart of the city, home to 25,000 barrels of sherry wine. He learns why these towering storage spaces, known as Cathedral Bodegas, have been designed to age sherry in constant temperatures and humidity, during the fierce Andalusian summers.

His journey ends in Spain's largest tidal wetland where, for thousands of years, artisanal salt producers have harvested sea-salt, rich in minerals, from the salt marshes. He visits the last remaining artisanal salt-producer, and helps harvest the most refined sea-salt from the water's surface, known as flor de sal (flower of salt) which isn't used for cooking but as a "finisher" to boost the flavour of the food before it is served.

Michael's journey ends with him tasting local tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and flor de sal, and hearing how this family business hopes to keep the tradition alive well into the future.